Russia President Putin says terrorists are entering Afghanistan from Syria, Iraq

Recognizing that the situation in Afghanistan is difficult, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on October 13 that battle-hardened terrorists are entering the nation from Syria and Iraq. He made the statements at a virtual summit of ex-Soviet security service leaders, according to Khaama Press.

Putin was alluding to the Taliban's failure to take Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists seriously. The former isn't considered a significant danger to Afghanistan's de-facto government because ISIS-K lacks international or regional support, according to Khaama Press.

On October 8, a devastating blast swept through the Sayed Abas Mosque in Kunduz, northern Afghanistan, as locals gathered for a Friday prayer. The incident claimed the lives of over 100 people and injured many others. The tragic attack on the Shia mosque was claimed by Islamic State Khorasan, often known as ISIS-K. It was the group's bloodiest attack since a suicide bombing at Kabul's international airport killed over 170 civilians and 13 US personnel on August 26.

According to Putin, the group may destabilise the situation in neighbouring nations and possibly seek direct expansion. He further added that members of terrorist groups are exploiting political uncertainty in Afghanistan to migrate into neighbouring ex-Soviet nations as refugees, Khaama Press reported.

While Moscow has expressed cautious optimism about the new Taliban leadership in Kabul, it is anxious about instability spreading to Central Asia, where it has military outposts. Following the Taliban's takeover, Russia conducted military training with ex-Soviet nations Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, where it has a military base. Afghanistan's border is shared by both countries.

World economy depends on US, says Putin

The entire world economy is dependent on the state of the US economy, and Russia is interested in the absence of leaps there, according to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"The United States is the largest economy in the world, very high-tech. The entire world economy depends on the condition of the American economy, and we are objectively interested in the absence of unrest, leaps there, but this does not depend on us," Putin stated this in an interview with CNBC that was posted on the Kremlin's website.

He stated that Moscow is actively monitoring events, assessing them, and taking the appropriate steps to protect its long-term interests.

(With inputs from agencies)

Image: AP